


Have Mercy

by cascountsdeansfreckles



Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, Destiel - Freeform, Fluff, John Winchester and Mary Winchester are Divorced, John Winchester's A+ Parenting, M/M, New Years Eve, Tags Are Hard, ew i never thought i would write a hurt/comfort fic, hurt/comfort i guess but literal physical hurt, i cant tag, mary winchester is good, trigger warning shooting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-01-23
Packaged: 2019-10-02 15:13:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17266511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cascountsdeansfreckles/pseuds/cascountsdeansfreckles
Summary: TW: A shooting in a club.Dean and Cas go to a club to celebrate New Years Eve and Dean is shot. This yields a devastating result and the boys have to learn how to deal with it. Are they strong enough together to get through this, or will this break the newlyweds apart?Established relationship (Recently married.)I'm better at writing than summarizing, I swear :(





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Uhh this is my first fic so please comment constructive stuff don't be mean lmao. I don't know how to make this dumb website show tabs so I'm sorry. Also, I say their names a whole lot because whenever I am reading M/M I can't tell who "he" is, so comment whether it's annoying and I should just let you be confused for the rest of the chapters. Thanks for reading!

“Come on, babe, do we have to? Why can’t we just call Sam and Eileen and meet them at some rinky-dink bar downtown where it won’t be insanely crowded with drunk frat boys?” Castiel whines, tilting his head up to look at his husband. Dean is sitting cross-legged on the bed while Cas is on the floor. When he manages to catch Dean’s eye he pushes his bottom lip out in a pout. Dean looks at him for a moment before throwing his head back in laughter. He drops the pout and throws his arms up before pushing himself off the ground and turning to face the bed.  
“Castiel, it’s New Years Eve, and you want to to meet the two people we see every single day at a ‘rinky-dink’ bar?” Dean looks at him, grinning from ear to ear. His head is still tilted back slightly and the smile lines around his eyes are prominent. For a moment, Cas is falling in love again, he considers going to every single busy bar in the world just to make Dean keep smiling like that. But then Dean says “absolutely not” and his mouth falls open, his eyebrows raising.  
“Excuse me? We’ve only been married two months and you are already controlling my whole life.” Castiel puts his hands on his hips in a mock disapproving stance. “I can’t believe this, my mom was right.”  
“Yeah? She always has hated me.” Dean prompts, still smiling widely.  
“Oh, yeah. She warned me this would happen. At first, he will just want to pick where you go to lunch, then you’ll have to go places on holidays.” He walks around the bed and sits next to him.  
“Sounds horrible.” Dean agrees, leaning forward as though he is going to kiss him. Cas leans in too, eyes closing. Just before their lips are about to meet, Dean stops leaning forward. Cas opens one eye in question and Dean winks at him. “No,” he says, and pulls away.  
“Oh my god, you suck.” He laughs, and pushes Dean away from him. He climbs off the bed and pushes open the bathroom door. He bends downs on his knees and opens one of the cupboard doors, looking for a new tube of toothpaste. When he finds it and straightens up, he glances in the mirror and his heart almost stops. Dean grabs him by the hips when he almost slips, and he turns quickly to punch him in the arm.  
“Ow!”  
“Dean, you scared the crap out of me. You can’t just pop up behind me in the mirror like a serial killer.” Castiel accuses, slapping his hands away from his hips and giving his reflection a disapproving glance in the mirror. He laughs again and leans back against the wall to watch him go through his routine. In the middle of washing his face, Cas looks at him again and is struck by how handsome he is. His light brown hair is ruffled from sleeping and the brightness of the bathroom makes his bright green eyes shine over the light dusting of freckles on his cheeks.  
“Didn’t your mom ever teach you that it is rude to stare, Cas?” Castiel rolls his eyes and does his best not to blush at getting caught.  
“Whatever, can we just go? If I’m letting you drag me out onto the town we are getting an early start so I can be drunk enough to stand it."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The bar is loud, and the man bumping into Dean’s arm repeatedly is far too drunk to be in public. He does his best to look as though he is enjoying himself to avoid an ‘I told you so’ from Castiel, who is currently attempting to take a sip of his screwdriver without spilling it; he can’t move his arm to his mouth without bumping into someone.  
“Having fun yet, babe?” Dean shouts over the music, grinning at him. He glares over at him but Dean can see the amusement underneath. “Only ten minutes until midnight.”  
“What?” Cas shouts back, tilting his head towards him. Dean is about to respond when the gunshots start. Before he can even think about what to do his body is reacting, grabbing Castiel and dropping to the ground with him. He rolls over and shields Castiel’s body with his to the best of his ability. The shots are getting louder as the gunman works his way towards the back of the club, Dean lifts his head slightly to look for somewhere to hide while hushing his husband at the same time. Cas is wriggling beneath him, babbling about Dean getting off him, getting somewhere safe, anywhere safe. He gives Cas a derisive ‘sh’ and surveys the room, ignoring the instinct to cover his head with his arms when another shot punctuates a scream. He spots a table that has been turned over in the panic and starts to stand up, pulling Castiel with him. There’s another round of shots, he goes down hard. He gasps, knowing the bullet hit home somewhere on his body but not exactly where. He knows what shock is, knows he’ll feel it later, knows he should focus on stopping the bleeding, but he’s trying to talk; he is trying to tell Castiel to get behind the table, but he’s crying now. He’s pressing his hand against the growing red spot on Dean’s shirt. He is distracted now, staring at the dark color flowering over the light blue of the fabric; it’s hypnotizing. A final shot rings out, one clearly sent from a different gun. The shouting slowly stops, replaced by sobs, as policemen fill the room. He comes back to earth as Castiel slides out from under him, talking loudly to an EMS responder. His vision fades in and out, he hears the medic talking to him and grabbing his arm but he’s tired. He wants to close his eyes but Castiel keeps on shouting his name, he wants to hold out his arms to him, to protect him, but he can’t move. His vision goes dark after a few long moments of fighting.


	2. Shock Fades Quick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean and Cas are in the ambulance, trying to get Dean stable so they can get him to the hospital. They're accompanied by a kind EMS worker named Garth and an annoying one named Hannah. Dean is hurting, Cas is doing his best to help him through. Once again, I suck at summaries and stuff I swear I am a better writer than this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this in like an hour and it's not very editted so please point out any horrible mistakes. Thanks guys! PS this chapter is longer than the first one because it was important lol.

“No no no no, come on, baby, keep your eyes open. Dean, you have to stay awake, Dean, come on. You have to stay with me.” Castiel begs, holding his husband’s limp hand as he half-jogs to keep up with the stretcher being pushed towards the ambulance. Other people around them are crying loudly but all Cas can focus on is following the EMS workers order. Keep Dean awake, that’s his only job, keep Dean’s eyes open. Dean groans and Castiel’s breath catches in his throat.  
“Cas-Cas, please.” Cas feels his heart tear in two at the pain in his husbands voice.  
“What do you need?” He asks quicky, prepared to do just about anything for Dean to stop tensing up in pain.  
“I don’t-I… It hurts so bad.” His grip on Cas’ hand tightens and he cries out. Shit. So much for shock. They roll to a stop as the workers rip open the ambulance doors and lift the stretcher into the back.  
“I know it does, baby, I know. I’m sorry.” Cas clambers in next to him, kneeling beside his head. He does his best to stay out of the way of the EMS workers and runs his hand through Dean’s hair softly. “Listen to me, you have to stay awake, okay?” Cas whispers against Dean’s temple, kissing it softly and closing his eyes as he rests his head against him.  
“Castiel-that’s your name, right?” Cas fails to realize that he is being talked to for a moment, but someone touches his shoulder and he jerks upright. He nods a belated response to the question, feeling dazed. “Okay, my name is Garth. You are doing great, Castiel. But you have to do something else for us. We need to stabilize him before we can head to the hospital and it’s going to hurt him a lot. It may be hard for you to watch so just focus on your friends face-”  
“Husband.” Cas corrects quietly.  
“Sorry, what was that?” The worker--Garth--leans down to hear him better over the sound of his colleagues shouting orders to each other.  
“I’m his husband.” Garth’s face looks blank for a moment before realization sets in and he smiles softly.   
“Oh, I apologize. I would grab your husbands hand again for this, and be ready for him to squeeze the life out of it.”  
“Okay.” Cas nods a few too many times before sliding his hand down Dean’s arm and grips his hand tightly. “Hey sweetie, they’re going to stabilize you so we can get moving and get you fixed up, alright? It’s gonna hurt--”  
“It already hurts Castiel just tell ‘em to start.” Dean’s voice is rough, but he squeezes Cas’ hand reassuringly. Cas lifts their joined hands to his lips and gives the back of Dean’s hand a soft kiss.  
“Garth?” Cas calls, looking up from Dean to search the ambulance. He finds Garth’s reassuring smile quickly and nods. Garth returns the nod and starts barking orders, sending the back of the car into a frenzy. Cas watches the EMS workers grab large, scary looking tools but before they start doing anything a young looking woman kneels down next to him and tells him to look away. Cas refuses at first, distractedly trying to crane his neck to see around her, but she grabs his arm to get his attention.  
“Sir, you want to look away. You need to be entirely present for your friend. Focus on him, please.”  
“Husband.” Cas groans, quietly, but she squeezes his arm and turns away from him without hearing him. Cas turns back to Dean and resumes the soft brushing of his hair with his free hand, whispering reassurances and occasionally runs his thumb down under Dean’s eye.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dean stares at the ceiling of the ambulance and tries to ground himself by focusing on the feeling of Cas’ hand combing through his hair. Eventually some EMS worker decides to do some painful thing because Dean feels like his gut is on fire. He groans softly, squeezing Castiel’s hand. Cas pauses his non-stop flow of bullshit promises about how Dean is going to be fine long enough to hush him and squeeze his hand back. There’s another stab of pain and he cries out, lifting his body off the table and he frantically thrashes his head, looking for Cas. Searching for his eyes, praying that when he finds them he’ll be able to fall into them and forget what’s happening. When their eyes meet it’s because Cas has grabbed his chin in his hand and turned his face towards him. The pain in his blue eyes reflects how Dean physically feels. He cries out again and tries to curl in on himself, but he is being held down. Something wet falls onto his hand and as he is gasping he glances down at it. There’s a single drop of... something resting where his hand meets Castiels. Dean looks back up into his husbands face and sees tears streaming down it.  
For a moment he forgets that he has been shot, forgets the constant pain in his stomach. All he can think about is wiping the tears away and holding Cas. But now it’s Cas who has to hold him, to swallow his desperation and put on a brave face. He feels Cas’ hand leave his forehead to wipe away his tears quickly. After what feels like hours but could only be minutes, the pain subsides and he hears someone explaining to Castiel that they’ve stabilized him and determined that it’s safe to drug him up. He turns his head to see one of the female EMS workers touching his husbands arm, a flash of jealousy shoots through him. He almost laughs at the fact that he is on an ambulance on his way to the emergency room but still finds the space in his mind to hate when people flirt with his husband. The last thing he sees as he starts to go under is Cas nodding uncomfortably and looking around for someone to save him.  
“Sonovabitch.” Dean slurs. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The worker introduces herself as Hannah and touches him a lot. Like, a lot. He feels Dean’s hand go slack in his own and he uses the excuse to pull away from Hannah. Cas looks over Dean worriedly and is only slightly annoyed when Hannah appears at his shoulder to explain that everything is fine.  
They pull into the hospital and screech to a stop. Cas sits back and lets the hospital staff get Dean out smoothly before hopping out. They push Dean through the hospital quickly, with Cas close behind the whole time. That is, until someone slams a door in his face and he is stuck with the girl again. He blanks on her name while she explains to him that Dean is going into surgery and he can’t go in with him.  
“I really admire how close you two seem. It’s really cute when guys have close friendships like that.” The woman--Hannah, he remembers--rambles. Finally, he snaps at her.  
“He’s my husband.” Hannah stares at him, flabbergasted. He rolls his eyes at her and pulls out his phone to call Sam and Eileen. As his phone rings he raises his eyebrows at Hannah and waves at her pointedly. She stomps away and Cas thinks about how much easier it is to get rid of people when Dean can just lean into him and tell them to scram.  
“Cas! What’s up, brother in law? Haha!” Sam slurs into the phone, clearly drunk. Oh, god. It’s New Years Eve. “Cassie? You there?” Sam yells over the sound of loud music in the background.  
“Sam, Dean got shot.”  
“Dean’s taking shots? Where are you guys? Should me and Eil come?”  
“No, Sam. Dean got shot.” The line goes quiet besides the loud bass in the background.  
“Oh my god.” He sounds significantly sobered up and Cas knows he got his point across. “Brady, where’s Eileen? Holy shit-Eileen! Come on, we have to go. Dean got shot. Cas, we are coming. Are you at the hospital on Sixth and True?”  
“Yeah. Sam, don’t drive. Okay?”  
“I won’t. Eileen’s the D.D. this year, I swear. She hasn't had a lick of alcohol. We’ll be there soon, dude. Holy shit.” Then, Sam hangs up and Cas stands alone in the hallway of the hospital with his phone still held to his ear.  
“I’ll just wait here then.” He mutters, staring at the door that Dean went through without really seeing it.


	3. Good Morning, Sunshine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean wakes up to find a brother, a brothers girlfriend, and a husband all asleep in his hospital room. Tensions are high when Cas wakes up too, and Dean is feeling some pretty intense pain. He refrains from telling Cas, but this only worsens the situation when they try to snuggle up on the small bed. Ugh I can't summarize pt. 3 just read the chapter I guess.

Dean fades in and out throughout the next few hours. Everything is fuzzy, but he remembers Cas’ soft hand on his vividly. A few times, he hears Sam’s worried voice but can’t pull himself out of his sleep to see his baby brother. Eventually, he comes up for real. He opens his eyes groggily, flinching from the bright light of the hospital room. He panics slightly, fighting the urge to jump up and rip out his IV like they do in the movies. Cas’ soft snores fill the room, they bring a familiarity to Dean that slows his heart rate and allows him to calm himself down enough to look around. He sees Sam and Eileen slumped together, both sleeping, leaning their heads together and against the window. Outside, the sun is only just rising. Finally his eyes fall on Castiel’s sleeping form, his face is calm. Dean smiles softly, freeing his hand from his husband’s clutch and running his thumb under his eye softly. Cas sleepily blinks himself awake, seeming to take a moment to remember where he is.  
“Morning, baby.” Dean greets him with a rough voice, his hand still resting on Cas’ face. Slowly, Castiel raises his hand and reclaims Deans, bringing his palm to his lips and kissing it softly.  
“How are you feeling?” He whispers back, Dean’s palm still raised to his lips. Dean lets his eyes flutter shut for a moment and focuses on the soft feeling against his hand.  
“Better now that you’re here.”  
“Liar, I’ve been here the whole time.” Dean opens one eye, smiling at him. Cas is smiling too, biting his lip to keep himself from laughing.  
“Yeah, well, that’s what everyone always says.” They chuckle softly. Dean grunts in pain, ripping his hand away from Cas to grab at his gut. Cas lets out a small gasp, jumping to his feet on instinct.  
“Do you need a nurse?” His voice is loud now, forgetting the pair sleeping by the window. “Dean, do you need me to get you a nurse?” He repeats when he doesn’t get a response.  
“Sh, Cas. Shut up.” Dean whispers, bringing a shaking finger to his own lips. He squeezes his eyes shut for a moment and clenches his jaw through the spike of pain. When he recovers, he nods his head towards Sam, who is stirring slightly in his chair. He isn’t ready for them to have company.   
“Excuse me? Shut up?” Cas seems to forget where they are for a second, his hands falling to rest on his hips, his eyebrow raised. “Did you just shush me, and then say ‘shut up?’”  
“Castiel, stop.” Dean snaps, feeling guilty the second that the words have left his mouth. Cas instantly looks like a kicked puppy, his arms raise to cover his chest. “I’m sorry. You know I didn’t mean to snap at you, I just don’t want to deal with Sammy yet. The moment he wakes up he is going to be all over me.”  
Castiel’s hurt look doesn’t waver, so Dean holds his arms out to him. At first he is denied, but he keeps his arms raised and makes grabby motions with his hands.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Come here, please. I’m sorry.” Dean’s voice is soft, his eyes sincere. Cas caves and sits back down on the edge of the bed.  
“No, it’s okay. That was an overreaction, I’m just tired.” He throws his legs up onto the bed and leans back against Dean’s shoulder. He is sitting on the side farthest from Deans wound, but he shifts slowly to ensure that he doesn’t cause more pain.  
He feels his husbands arms close around him and he closes his eyes, breathing in the smell of him. He leans farther into Dean, turning towards him, when the familiar scent is interrupted by the stuffy, sterile hospital smell. For a moment, he is reminded that Dean got shot and is hooked up to machines that are keeping him from crashing. He turns fully sideways, burying his face in Deans neck. He clenches his eyes shut, trying to deny the tears that are rushing to his eyes. Dean must feel the pressure of his suppressed sobs because he turns his head and kisses Cas’ temple.  
“It’s okay, Cas. Let it happen.” He whispers against his temple, pressing another kiss to the same spot before turning his head back towards the ceiling. Somewhere deep in Castiel's head an alarm bell rings because the position Dean is lying in isn't one he would usually choose, but he tunes out the worry.   
“No,” Cas hates how much his voice shakes as he says it, “I need to be strong. I have to be strong for you because you are always strong for me when I need you.”  
“Cas, I am begging you right now to let yourself cry.” Dean doesn’t look at him, but Cas doesn’t need to see him to realize what’s happening. Dean is asking him to cry for the both of them. Well, if he insists.   
Hot tears stream down his face the moment he lets the tension drop from his body. His shoulders and chest lurch with every sob, but Dean’s arms are sturdy around him, even with a gunshot in his side. Each breath he takes makes his lungs burn and his nose begins to run. Pressing his face deeper into the crook of his husband’s neck, he clutches at his hospital gown and lets go.  
He must cry for at least ten minutes before he’s just breathing in deeply and clutching at Dean. He doesn't notice when Dean's fist tightens around the blankets of his bed, he doesn't feel it when Dean tenses up slightly and presses his head into the pillow, hard. He doesn't notice anything until his breathing is even and he is simply lying in Dean's arms.   
“Better?” Dean asks, loosening his arms to shift slightly. Cas makes a noise of protest and snuggles farther into him. “Castiel, look at me.” Dean insists, shifting again. Cas pulls away from him and raises his eyes to look into Dean’s bright green ones. “Better?” He repeats, his eyes searching Cas’ face.  
“I love you.” Cas offers as a response, knowing Dean will know that it means yes.  
“And I, you.” Dean confirms, leaning forward to kiss him. Cas leans forward too and revels in the moment that he can use to pretend they’re just laying in bed. Then, Sam wakes up. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dean presses forward, aiming to deepen the kiss, but his stupid brother finds right now to be a good time to wake up.  
“Gross. Get a room.” Sam teases, trying to sit up without waking his girlfriend.  
“Sam, I’ll kill you.” Dean threatens, barely parting himself from Cas' lips enough to talk. “I am being completely honest, I will stand up from this bed and throw you out that friggin’ window.” He leans in to kiss Cas again, bringing his hand to his chin, but Cas only allows him a short peck before pulling away. Dean chases him with his lips yet comes up short.  
“I’m going to get some coffee from the cafeteria.” Cas announces, running his hand through Dean’s hair before forcing himself to stand up and leave. Dean sighs loudly, reproachfully watching Cas leave the room before turning to squint at his brother.  
“I hate you.” He gripes, shifting uncomfortably on the bed.  
“I know you do.” Sam laughs, but his smile fades quickly to be replaced by a look of badly concealed worry. “How you feelin’?” He clearly is trying to keep his voice casual, but Dean know this is the conversation he has dreaded all morning. This conversation is why he snapped at his innocent husband.  
“I’m fine, Sammy. Jesus. Stop looking at me like some wounded animal.” Dean lies, averting his gaze from his brother’s.  
“You’re not fine, Dean. I’m not Cas, you can tell me that it hurts.” Dean glares at him for a minute before turning his head to stare at the ceiling again.  
“It’s like I can feel where the bullet was. Every single part of me hurts except for that one spot, that one spot is so numb that--I don’t know--it’s almost so numb that it hurts too. Whenever Cas makes me laugh it feels like that one spot is being cut into over and over again.” He admits.   
“Dean.” Sam interrupts him, and there is something in his voice that should make Dean stop and look around but he is too tired to pick up social cues today.  
“God, Sammy it feels like they haven’t drugged me up at all. The painkillers aren’t working or something. When he was laying with me I thought I was going to die. It hurt so bad--”  
“Dean!” Sam grits out through his teeth, nodding towards the door when Dean sends him an aggravated look. Uh-oh. Dean turns his head slowly and hesitantly meets the blue gaze pointed at him from the doorway. Cas looks horrified, guilty, and pissed off all at the same time.  
“Oh my god. Castiel, I’m sorry. I didn’t want to tell you because it was worth it to hold you for a while. I swear, babe, I didn’t care that it hurt--”  
“I’m going to get a nurse. To tell them about the painkillers not working.” Cas declares quietly, his knuckles white as they clutch his cup of coffee tightly. “I’m sorry that I hurt you,” he adds quickly before turning away.


	4. The Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John and Mary show up and shit goes down. A lot more happens too just read. Bad at summarizing I am a better writer than this etc. Y'all know the drill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also the tabs are still messed up sorry

“Mr. Winchester, we adjusted your morphine levels so you should stop feeling the pain now. We apologize sincerely, please do let us know if this happens again.” The nurse tells Dean, fussing with some buttons on one of the machines.  
“Please, Mr. Winchester is my father.” Dean jokes, only half meaning for the nurse to hear him. She giggles, turning to smile at him bashfully. Oops. Before he can backtrack, Cas is clearing his throat and crossing his arms. “Please excuse us, ma’am, I think I’m in trouble.” Dean admits, smiling kindly as she blushes some more and leaves the room.  
“Is flirting with the nurses going to be a common thing with you, because I can start waiting in the cafeteria until you’re done.” Cas’ blue gaze pierces through him and he instantly feels the need to defend himself.  
“I made a joke, Castiel, it’s not my fault I’m devastatingly handsome. It makes all the ladies swoon.”  
“Yeah? Well, the male nurses that have been in and out of here have been blushing pretty deep as well.” Cas counters, his voice delicate. Dean knows Cas doesn’t have it in him to truly fight with him right now.  
Something in the heaviness in Cas’ face makes Dean decide to back down for once.  
“You’re right, I’m sorry. I’ll turn down the charm when there’s a cute nurse in the room.” He knows it’s cruel but can’t help adding the last bit to mess with his husband.  
“Oh, you thought she was cute?” Cas’ voice breaks slightly, but when he sees Dean’s rueful smile the fight leaves him. “Shit, I’m sorry. I have been dramatic all day.”  
“Do not apologize, just come here.” Dean requests, patting the space beside him in the small bed. Cas sits next to him but doesn’t lean into him at all. Ignoring the stab of guilt in his chest, Dean takes a deep breath. “You can lay with me now, it really doesn’t hurt anymore.”  
“Stop.”  
“Sam called mom.”  
“Good, that’s good. Mary should-”  
“She called my father.” Dean interjects quickly, staring at Cas to gage his reaction. His face tightens visibly, but when he looks at Dean he softens considerably.  
“Is he coming here?” He asks, his voice quiet. Dean nods at him, worrying at his lip slightly. “Have you talked to him since the engagement?” He knows the answer, but feels like he needs to ask the question anyways.  
“No, I haven’t talked to him since he stormed out of our house in a wave of drunken, homophobic fury.” Dean confirms, his voice small. Cas finally takes pity on him, stretching out and resting his head on Dean’s arm. Dean lets out a breath of relief and leans into the touch gratefully.   
“I’m sorry, I know how much he meant--means--to you. Are you nervous? Do you--” he pauses for a moment to gather all of his strength to give the offer, “Do you want me to clear out when he comes?”  
“Absolutely not,” Dean answers quickly, “I’m not a coward. Just keep it civil. I know you aren’t his biggest fan.”  
“I will if he does.”  
“Cas!” Dean chides, nugging him with his shoulder.  
“I’m teasing you. I will be the picture of grace and elegance. I’ll kill the bastard with kindness. Please, at least tell me your mom is going to be here before he is.” Dean assures him of this and they talk easily for a while about how delicious the jell-o is from the cafeteria. Despite the lack of tension in their conversation, Dean can practically feel Castiel’s apprehension. Between his constant half-glances to check if Dean is in pain and his quick glances at the door, Dean can tell he is beyond overwhelmed.  
“You can leave when he gets here, if you want.” He suggests hesitantly, but he is grateful when Cas shuts him down instantly. The only thing worse than having to deal with his father, he decides, would be having to deal with him alone while stuck in one tiny room.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dean is asleep with his head against Cas’ shoulder when Mary walks in, bringing the smell of freshly baked pie with her. She smiles warmly at Cas and waves a silent hello before pointing to the box in her hand that clearly holds the dessert. Cas returns the smile and raises his finger in a ‘one moment’ gesture.  
“Dean.” Cas turns his head slightly and finds himself buried in a mess of Dean’s hair. “Baby, wake up.” He mutters softly against his bedhead, coaxing him gently out of his nap and announcing the arrival of his mother. Dean groans, nuzzling into Cas’ shoulder to fall back into his slumber until Cas adds that she has come baring pie. Somehow, he is instantly awake and cheerful.  
“Heya, mom.” He greets her excitedly, pulling her in for a hug before taking the box out of her hands and opening it up greedily.  
“Clearly you’re more excited to see that apple pie than you are to see your poor old mother.” Mary teases, faking a melancholy sigh. They laugh and chat while Cas looks on with a soft smile.  
Mary has never been anything but kind to Castiel and they have always been fairly close, so he feels at ease when Dean laces his fingers through Cas’ as they lay side by side. All good things must come to an end, however, and while the trio is laughing, they are interrupted by a sharp knock on the door frame.  
The room falls into an uneasy silence and Cas’ stomach clenches when Dean drops his hand quickly. Part of him feels reproachful, but he knows his husband and knows what lines can and can’t be crossed. Before he even looks over at the door, Cas swings his legs around and stands up. He swallows his feelings as he hears Dean’s relieved sigh behind him.  
A short “John,” and a nod is the only greeting the disheveled looking man receives from Mary, but Cas’ promise to Dean is still fresh; he forces a smile and shakes John Winchester’s hand, giving him a much friendlier nod and a respectful “sir,” before stepping out of his way so he can see Dean. He isn’t surprised when John pretends he doesn’t exist and goes straight to Dean’s side.  
“Hey.” Dean says, his light green eyes searching his father’s face. Cas scoots around the edge of the room until he is standing next to Mary.  
“You got shot.” John aptly notices, causing two snorts from where Dean’s mother and husband stand together against the wall. John ignores them, looking to Dean expectantly.  
“Yeah, pretty manly huh?” Dean jokes nervously, his eyes flicking to Cas and Mary for reassurance. Cas hopes desperately that he finds some there, because he has a bad feeling about this already.  
“How’d you get shot?”  
“Uh-what?”  
“I taught you how to take care of yourself, so how’d you get shot?” John’s voice is less curious than disappointed, Cas takes half a step forward without thinking about it. His instinct had been to step between the hardened, angry man and his broken looking son and somehow physically protect Dean from the hurt John was causing, but he knew this was something that was just going to have to hurt.  
“It caught me off guard.” Dean responds, his emotions showing plainly on his face. He is still hoping for something to turn around, for his dad to rest a hand on his shoulder or at least act concerned about his son’s health.  
“Bullshit. Winchester boys don’t get caught off guard.” John presses. They both go quiet, Dean’s eyes have fallen. Don’t look at me. Cas begs silently, willing Dean to hear him and understand. Don’t look at me. But when John repeats his question a final time, Dean can’t help but send a quick, guilt-ridden look towards Cas. Shit.  
John freezes and they all know that he saw and understood everything that lead up to Dean getting shot. He turns deliberately to really look at Cas for the first time since he entered the room. Behind him, Sam and Eileen have just returned from their lunch break to the cafeteria. They stop in the doorway when they recognize John from behind. Sam’s eyes flick quickly between Cas, Dean, and John before a look of realization sets in on his face.  
Cas tilts his chin up and straightens his back, daring John to think of him as anything less than a man. Clearly it does not do much, as he looks at Cas like gum on the bottom of his shoe. He turns back to Dean, disbelief etched on his face.  
“You got shot because you were protecting him.” He concludes, sneering. Dean opens and closes his mouth a few times before choosing not to respond and instead goes back to staring at his blanket. “That’s pathetic. You know, I came here today half expecting to hear a story about how you heroically tried to jump the shooter and got nicked in the process. Instead, I walk into your room to find you holding hands and cuddling with another man.”  
Dean’s ears are bright red, his jaw is tightening and loosening every few seconds. Cas can see his fists balled up into tight circles by his sides.  
“Dean.” He says softly, unable to stop himself. Dean looks up at him, his eyes lost and empty. Cas only shakes his head at him, but he knows that the message gets across. He isn’t worth it. Dean doesn’t look away from him so Cas holds his gaze, as though he can will some of his strength into his husband. His heart breaks for him as he soaks up the pure hurt in Dean’s eyes.   
“Hey, I’m talking to you.” John steps between Cas and Dean, ending their silent conversation. Cas feels his heartbreak quickly turning to anger. “I’m your father and I am trying to talk to you.” John raises his voice.  
“John.” Mary warns, stepping forward so she is even with Cas. John doesn’t listen to her. He snaps his fingers in front of Dean’s face when Dean keeps his eyes trained on his bed.   
“Show me some damn respect and look me in the eyes like a real man, you fa-” Before he can finish the word, Cas lunges at him.   
He heard the slur coming and wants nothing more than to beat the living shit out of his father in law. Sam saw everything coming as well, though, so he jumps into action and grabs Cas before any damage can be done. Cas struggles against him as he shoves him out the door, trying to get past him and to the man who causes Dean so much pain.  
“Let me go, Sam. I’ll kill the son of a bitch if he says one more thing to Dean. I’ll kill him!” Cas promises as he is shoved out the door. Some nurses rush over to help Sam, eventually someone stabs a needle into his arm and he goes slack against Sam’s arms. The last thing he hears is Mary Winchester screaming at her ex-husband.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dean sees Sam forcing Cas out the door out of the corner of his eye so he looks up and over his father’s shoulder, trying to see Cas. His heart feels as numb as the bullet wound in his stomach as his father continues to rant at him until something new happens. His mom steps forward and grabs John by the shoulder, spinning him around so he is looking at her.  
“Is this a joke, John Winchester? Your son is sitting in a hospital bed with a bullet wound and you have the nerve-the audacity-to walk in here and try to shame him? He shielded someone with his own body to protect them, and you call him pathetic?” John is shocked into silence, he simply stands there and stares at Mary as she berates him. “You will apologize to your son and then you will apologize to his husband, and then you will leave.” She finishes, her hands on her hips and her eyebrow raised.  
For a short moment Dean wants to laugh, because she looks so much like Castiel does when he is angry, but then John turns on his heel and stares at him. Dean summons the courage to look him in the eye and feels as though he might be sick when he sees the contempt in his father’s gaze.  
“You will apologize, after you have left this room and composed yourself like an adult.” Mary amends, stalking over to Dean’s bed and laying her hand on his shoulder. Dean and his mother watch John leave the room, struggling to get around the crowd that Castiel attracted.  
“Thank you.” Dean whispers, staring out the door at his sedated husband. His sedated husband, who swore he would be civil.  
“Don’t blame him, now. He did exactly what you would’ve done for him if someone else had tried to call him that.” Mary chides, reading her sons mind.  
“He promised.” Dean looks away from the door and at his mom instead. “I needed him and he promised.”


End file.
